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Thursday's best: White Sox prospects impress across Minors

By
Mike RosenbaumMLB.com

No organization currently features more high-end talent in its farm system than the White Sox. That was evident on Thursday, as a host of the South Siders' top prospects turned in big performances across three different levels.

Most notably, No. 8 overall prospectEloy Jimenez (White Sox No. 2) went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and a pair of doubles for Class A Advanced Winston-Salem. It was the 20-year-old outfielder's ninth home run this season and his first as a member of the White Sox after he was acquired from the Cubs last week in the Jose Quintana trade. No. 68 overall prospect Zack Collins (White Sox No. 7) also went deep for Winston-Salem, giving him 13 homers through 82 games in his first full season.

No organization currently features more high-end talent in its farm system than the White Sox. That was evident on Thursday, as a host of the South Siders' top prospects turned in big performances across three different levels.

Most notably, No. 8 overall prospectEloy Jimenez (White Sox No. 2) went 3-for-5 with a solo home run and a pair of doubles for Class A Advanced Winston-Salem. It was the 20-year-old outfielder's ninth home run this season and his first as a member of the White Sox after he was acquired from the Cubs last week in the Jose Quintana trade. No. 68 overall prospect Zack Collins (White Sox No. 7) also went deep for Winston-Salem, giving him 13 homers through 82 games in his first full season.

In Southern League action, No. 11 overall prospect Michael Kopech (White Sox No. 3) was nothing short of dominant as he posted a career-high eight scoreless innings to pace Double-A Birmingham in a shutout over Jackson. The 21-year-old righty yielded just four hits while striking out eight and throwing 70 of his 97 pitches for strikes. More significantly, the outing marked the first time in 18 starts this season that Kopech did not issue a walk.

Last but certainly not least, Jake Burger enjoyed a perfect night at the plate for Class A Kannapolis, going 5-for-5 with two doubles and a triple as well two runs scored and RBIs apiece. Selected by the White Sox with the No. 11 overall pick in last month's Draft, Burger, a 21-year-old third baseman, is hitting .405/.488/.676 with seven extra-base hits and seven RBIs over his first 11 games with the Intimidators.

The rest of the best performances from top prospects Thursday

• No. 29 overall prospect Tyler O'Neill (Mariners' No. 2) connected on two more home runs and plated five as Triple-A Tacoma outslugged Albuquerque, 14-11. The 22-year-old outfielder has been some kind of hot lately, as Thursday's mutli-homer performance gives him five home runs in his last five games, 13 homers in his last 24 contests, and 19 homers on the season. What's more, O'Neill's overall average has improved from .213 to .244 in that 24-game stretch, during which he's batting .326 with 30 RBIs.

• After giving up a season-high seven earned runs on eight hits in his last start, No. 38 overall prospect Mitch Keller (Pirates' No. 2) returned to his usual form as he fired six-plus dominant frames to pick up his third win for Class A Advanced Bradenton. Keller, 21, allowed one unearned run on one hit in the outing while compiling four strikeouts against two walks before exiting in the seventh after take a comebacker off the shin. It marked the seventh time in 15 starts this season that the right-hander did not permit an earned run.

• Cardinals No. 6 prospect Harrison Bader did a little bit of everything as he helped Triple-A Memphis edge Oklahoma City, 10-8. Batting in the cleanup spot, Bader connected on his 19th home run, an eighth-inning solo shot, as part of a 1-for-4 performance that included four runs scored, two RBIs, two walks and a stolen base. The 23-year-old outfielder is in the midst of his best month this season, as he's now batting .321/.379/.642 with five home runs over 16 games in July.

• Mets No. 8 prospect Peter Alonso's pair of solo homers accounted for all of Class A Advanced St. Lucie's offense in its 10-2 loss against Jupiter. The 2016 second-rounder has been on a tear offensively of late, posting a .378 average with six home runs and 10 RBIs over his last 10 games.

• Indians No. 10 prospect Juan Hillman scattered four hits as he completed a career-high eight scoreless innings in a no-decision for Class A Lake County. Throwing strikes with 64 of his 93 pitches in the contest, the 20-year-old southpaw struck out four without issuing a walk and generated another nine outs via ground balls. After struggling to begin his season, Hillman has rebounded in the second half to post a 2.08 ERA with a 0.85 WHIP and a .188 opponents' average in six starts.

• Playing in his fifth game for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre since returning from the big leagues, Yankees No. 10 prospect Tyler Wade homered, tripled and tallied four RBIs out of the leadoff spot as the RailRiders downed Charlotte, 13-2. Though he batted just .107 over nine games with the Yankees, Wade, 22, has produced a .314/.391/.455 slash line with 27 extra-base hits and 25 stolen bases in 76 Triple-A contests.

• Astros No. 18 prospect Anibal Sierra set a career high with five RBIs and finished a double short of hitting for the cycle in Class A Advanced Buies Creek's victory over Carolina. Sierra's home run, a two-run shot in the seventh inning, was his fourth in 70 games with Buies Creek, and he also scored three times in the contest before finishing 3-for-4.

• Dodgers No. 20 prospect Oneil Cruz homered for a second straight game for Class A Great Lakes, though it was his perfect 5-for-5 showing at the plate that stole the show. The 6-foot-6 third baseman finished the game with nine total bases, three RBIs and three runs scored as the Loons shut out Cedar Rapids, 10-0.

• Padres No. 26 prospect Austin Allen went 4-for-5 at the plate for Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore as he recorded his second four-hit effort in his past seven games. Two of his hits went for extra-bases as Allen connected on his 14th home run and also added his 22nd double while improving his slash line to .284/.354/.490.